Reflections on Reid
by REIDFANATIC
Summary: SPOILERS for Amplification Hotch & Morgan reflect on Reid as they visit their friend in the hospital after Reid had been infected with a deadly virus.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds. No copyright infringement is intended

A/N: Just my take on what Hotch might be thinking as they wait for news after Reid is infected with a deadly virus.

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Hotch sat in the uncomfortable chairs outside the room that Reid was in, waiting for the doctor to come out and give them the news.

Morgan was just closing his cell phone, "Garcia's got Kevin working on the computer stuff. She's on her way." At Hotch's look Morgan held up his hands. "I know Hotch but there was no way I could stop her from coming. She wants to be here for Reid."

Of course she wants to be here for Reid, Hotch thought. She loves him. They all loved him, not that they ever said anything. It was more or less understood. They were family like Jordan Todd had said. She'd also said that the family takes on the characteristics of its leader. He wanted them to be strong for Reid. He'd have to be strong too. He looked at the other members of the team. They were sitting quietly not talking except for Morgan who paced like a caged tiger waiting to spring as soon as he got the chance. JJ and Prentiss held hands and each wiped away the occasional tear. Prentiss' legendary ability to compartmentalize seemed to be slipping. Dave just looked angry at the world.

He had to be strong Hotch told himself, that's what was expected of him. But it was Reid in there, exposed to a very deadly strain of anthrax. The chances weren't good. They weren't good at all and everyone sitting here knew that. He almost laughed when he thought that Reid could likely give him the exact odds on those chances. It mustn't help Reid, being in that room and knowing that. How could he be strong when the man he felt was part brother, part friend, part son and part teammate was lying in there possibly dying? He jumped up and headed for the doors leading to the stairwell.

Hotch sat and looked at the cross. With all they saw, it sometimes seemed like God had abandoned their victims and like Morgan, Hotch sometimes felt his faith was day to day. He hoped it was strong enough today. He hoped God would not abandon Spencer. He was trying to get the words out when he heard footsteps behind him.

"Tough day," Dave said as he sat in the pew beside Hotch.

"Is there some word," Hotch asked, not sure if his voice held hope or despair?

"No, not yet, I just came looking for you. You alright?"

"I'm supposed to be leading this team Dave. I'm supposed to stay the same unemotional uninvolved, taciturn person I always am but this time I…I can't. It's Reid in there, Dave. It's not somebody whose picture I've only seen. I've been sitting here trying to think of what to do. I should be notifying his next of kin. What, do I call Bennington and tell Dianna Reid that her son's been exposed to a very virulent strain of anthrax. What would that do to her in her condition? Do I call his father? I don't know if Reid would appreciate that. And what if the worst happens Dave? What do I do, go to Bennington and present Dianna Reid with a flag? Do I tell Dianna and William Reid what a fine son they had and that their country appreciates the sacrifice he made for it? Don't you understand, I'm supposed to be leading those people up there and I don't know what to do," Hotch's voice cracked as his eyes filled with tears.

"Whatever happens, he's got his family with him. We're not leaving. And you don't have to be so tough and strong all the time. You guys have been together for what six years now. No one will fault you for your feelings," Dave said as he put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I'm going back up there; you stay here and do what you have to do. We'll call your cell when there's any news." Dave got up and headed for the back of the chapel.

Hotch sat for a few minutes, considering his words. As he did so he thought about Spencer Reid. What sprang to mind first was what hit everyone who met him, his genius, the way he could spout off tomes of any information needed at the drop of a hat. How many cases had they solved because Reid had come up with some bit of information that led to the solution, too many to count? But Spencer Reid was more than his genius and those who knew him well knew that. They saw the compassion he had for people, not only the victims and their families but sometimes for the unsubs themselves. He thought of the courage Reid had shown in Texas, facing a mixed up kid with one gun and the team behind him with four. He hadn't wavered. He was determined to continue to visit Amanda until she chose to do the right thing. He even managed to find empathy for Tobias Hankel. Hotch thought about his dogged tenacity in searching for the killer of a child in Las Vegas even though the man might have been his own father. Hotch grinned slightly at the thought that contrasting his amazing brilliance and his model good looks was his total ineptness in social situations. Why Reid? Hadn't he suffered enough with a neglectful father and a schizophrenic mother, with classmates who bullied him and unsubs who tortured him? He'd overcome so much, did he have the strength to overcome this too. Only God knew the answer to that.

"God, I know I haven't always been the man I should and done the right things as a father, husband, brother and son but I've always tried and if I have earned any favors from you, could you please help…" He suddenly stopped speaking as his phone began to ring.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**A/N: I was asked by some reviewers to carry on with this story. After watching the episode, I decided against it because none of the team, with the exception of Morgan, seemed concerned that Reid was possibly dying in the hospital. However, I reconsidered and wrote a reflection from Morgan's POV.**

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Morgan entered the glassed in room in the special wing at Walter Reid that cared for the anthrax infected patients to find Dr. Kimura writing on a clipboard at the bottom of Reid's bed. His friend appeared to be sleeping peacefully while an IV infused into his left arm. A blood pressure cuff encircling his right arm, a pulse oximeter on his finger, along with electrodes on his chest from a cardiac monitor, all relayed information to the doctor. Nasal cannula in his nose delivered oxygen to his damaged lungs. "How's he doing doc?" Morgan could not hide the concern in his voice.

"Better," Linda Kimura responded. "His temp is down, his breathing is less labored, sats are good; no further bleeding from the lungs, all good signs."

"Yeah," Morgan said pulling up a chair to sit next to his friend's bed. "Well if anyone can pull through this it's him. He may not look all that tough but, believe me, he is."

"Yes, I kind of noticed that when he was in Nichol's house. He even refused any narcotics for the pain," the doctor told him.

Morgan nodded, "He's got his reasons doc, he's got his reasons. Maybe he'll tell you about it sometime."

"I'd be interested to hear."

"He just looks like this nerdy guy, you know. Nobody knows how strong he is underneath that exterior, how strong he is here," Morgan beat his fist on his chest. "He's been through so much in his life. His dad left him and his mom when he was ten. His mom's schizophrenic. She's in a hospital in Vegas, that's where he's from. He had to look after his mom and pretty much raise himself and he still managed to get three doctorates and two Bas." Linda Kimura raised her eyebrows at this revelation. "Oh yeah, he's a genius who can read 20,000 words a minute and remembers everything he reads. His talents used to amaze me at first but now it's just Reid you know, it's something you get used to."

"He does magic tricks," he said and smiled at the surprise on Dr. Kimura's face. "Yeah, and he's good at it too. One time he had to use his magic against this deranged psycho who had people hostage on a train in Texas and was convinced he had a microchip planted in his body. He went on the train alone and unarmed and used a little sleight of hand to convince the guy he took out the microchip."

"That sounds rather dangerous, he's either foolhardy or pretty brave," Linda Kimura said as she sat on the other chair in the room to listen to Morgan share his thoughts on the man with whom she'd spent much of her day.

"There was this one time," Morgan paused, "I can laugh about it now but back then, no way. This crazy guy sends us this puzzle to solve while we're supposed to be on vacation and says if we don't a girl will die. The DVD showed the girl locked up. One of our agents got shot. Anyway, pretty boy here," he jerked his thumb in Reid's direction, "figures out the puzzle and we end up at this guy's place. Reid goes to try and talk the guy down. He likes to do that, never seems to work, well it did once in Texas but that's another story. So anyway he tells Hotch and I we should go downstairs. We say no, we're staying with him. What he doesn't tell us is that the guy has a bomb strapped to his body." There was a sharp intake of breath from Linda Kimura. "So anyway, Reid fails at talking the guy down and the guy pushes the detonator. Reid goes flying through the air and Hotch and I didn't know what was happening." He began to laugh, "Poor guy's ass was on fire, I literally had to stamp it out with a mat. He managed to figure out where the girl was though."

"I like to tease him. He's more like a little brother to me than a colleague. He's not really the physical type. One year he failed his firearms qualification. So, being the smart ass that I am, I put a whistle around his neck and told him to blow if he needed help. He wasn't impressed. Anyway he and Hotch end up in a crowded ER with another psycho brandishing a gun on full auto. Although Hotch was with him the guy had managed to get Hotch's gun and the only weapon left to them was Hotch's spare ankle piece. Hotch convinces the guy he hates Reid and before he dies he wants to kick the crap out of him which he proceeds to do allowing Reid to get his weapon. Reid shoots the guy right between the eyes." Morgan tapped his forehead. "He took great pleasure in tossing my whistle back at me. He saved a lot of people that day."

"How many people did he save today Doc, hundreds? If he hadn't thought there was an earlier attack, we never would have looked into the bookstore. Once inside Nichol's house, how many men do you know who would have stayed? Most would have got out of there as fast as they could and got medical attention. Not Reid, he stayed, he got us Brown and we were able to get him before he killed anyone else. He led you to where to look for the cure. And none of those people will ever know. Because of the blackout, none of the four remaining victims or the people in that subway will know that this guy is a hero." He let out a little laugh. "And you know something, that's just the way he'd want it."


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

A/N: I'm trying to write a reflection from each team member. This is Garcia's POV

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A startled Linda Kimura almost jumped out of her skin when she walked into Spencer Reid's room at 8 am and a plump blond woman with pigtails popped up from behind the far side of his bed. She appeared to be in the process of tying a rather large helium filled balloon with colorful letters instructing the recipient to 'get well soon' to the side rail. There was a similar one tied to the side rail on the near side of the bed as well. The woman wore a dress with a mauve bodice and a cream skirt decorated with violets. Friendly eyes looked at the doctor through black framed eyeglasses. "Hi," she whispered in an attempt not to wake Spencer. "You must be Dr. Kimura. We haven't met but I talked to you on the phone yesterday. I'm Penelope Garcia, technical analyst at Quantico." Linda suddenly found herself enveloped in a warm hug from this virtual stranger. "Thank you, thank you for saving Reid's life."

"You're welcome but it was really Dr. Reid himself that led me to where to look for the cure," Kimura said after Garcia had released her.

"Yeah, that's so like Reid. My junior G man is so smart. You know they made an exception for him at the bureau and let him into the FBI at the age of twenty-one when the minimum age is twenty-three."

"Junior G man," Kimura mouthed silently to herself as Garcia continued.

"I don't know what I would have done if I'd had to watch him die again."

"Die again," Kimura shook her head in confusion as she echoed the computer tech.

"Yes, he died once you know," Garcia's eyes filled with tears as she reached into a humungous tote bag and pulled out a framed 8 X 10 photograph that had been taken by Anderson at last year's Christmas party. Reid sat cross legged on the floor. Garcia sat right behind him in a chair while JJ and Emily sat on either side of her, each in chairs facing outwards. Hotch, Morgan and Rossi stood behind the women. Reid wore a Santa hat and Hotch was caught in a rare smile. She ran her fingers tenderly over Reid's image in the picture.

She looked up from the picture at the doctor. "This madman the team was chasing got the jump on Reid, took him to this shack and tortured him. He did so many awful things to Reid and the creep put it on the net so we could watch." Her voice caught. "Reid had this huge seizure and died. This guy had multiple personalities and one of them gave Reid CPR. Then he held a gun with one bullet in it to Reid's head. He wanted Reid to choose one of us to die and every time Reid said no Hankel, Tobias Hankel, that was his name, would pull the trigger. We all thought we'd never see him again. But even with all he went through, he still managed to get a clue to the team as to where he was and they found him though he'd already taken care of Tobias himself by then. He was in a bad way for a while after that but eventually our sweet boy came back to us."

As the tech's words sank in Kimura turned and looked at Reid sleeping peacefully while Garcia set the photograph on the nightstand and his words from the day before reverberated in her mind, "I'm comfortable and I don't want to take any narcotics." He has his reasons, Agent Morgan had said.

"He can blither on about every subject imaginable," the other woman was saying when Linda turned her attention back to her, "and will if you let him. There's almost nothing he doesn't know something about."

"You know yesterday when he thought the worst could happen and he knew he couldn't call his mom because it would alert the staff at her hospital, she's in a mental institution in Vegas with schizophrenia, he wanted me to make a recording for her. It's always broken his heart that he had to put her there, that he couldn't help her. Anyway he wanted to make sure she could hear his voice tell her how much he loved her and how proud he was to be her son even though he's always been afraid because schizophrenia is hereditary."

"He's such a sweet guy who's been through so much. He's a genius who can quote you any statistic you need or anything he's read verbatim yet the simple normal things you and I take for granted baffle him."

"How so?" the doctor asked.

"He never gets jokes and every time he tries to tell one, he fails miserably. He can do really great magic tricks but he can't use chopsticks to save his life. He's got the guts to try and talk down an unsub aiming an automatic weapon at him, yet he's afraid of the dark." She picked up the picture again, "He dresses in clothes that went out of style in the seventies and you should see the car he drives. He's totally inept socially and has no idea how to talk to girls; I guess graduating high school before you reach puberty can do that to you." She smiled at the image before her then turned and looked at the man, softly touching his hair with her fingers. "He's kind, caring, courageous and klutzy but most of all," she shoved the picture in front of Dr. Kimura, "he's so damn cute."


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds and no copyright infringement is intended.

A/N: Here's Emily's POV

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"Sorry about that," Reid said after he'd eventually shooed his flamboyant friend from his room but not before she'd decorated it with balloons, a banner that said 'thinking of you,' a huge get well card, a picture of the team and colorful knickknacks scattered throughout the room. He had been fussed over and was now covered with a happy face blanket and had a stack of novels, comic books and puzzle books to help keep him occupied. "She means well," he told Dr. Kimura who was at last able to examine her patient.

"That's okay, it's easy to see she loves you," the doctor replied as she placed her stethoscope on Reid's chest and back in various places, instructing him to breathe in and out. "Good," she said when she'd finished. "Air entry is good, no audible crackles, wheezes, rales or rhonchi. Your blood work has improved though from the amount of time you spend sleeping you're obviously still pretty weak. I'll order another chest x-ray so we can see what's going on in there," she told him as she heard someone entering the room behind her.

"Oh," Emily said, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude. I can wait outside."

"No need," Dr. Kimura responded. "We're finished for the moment," she said, returning her stethoscope to its position around her neck.

Emily looked around the room. "Let me guess, Garcia's been here?"

"What was your first clue?" Reid replied. "Is that for me?" he asked. His eyebrows rose as he eyed the fruit basket Emily carried. Its see through cellophane was tied up with a large red bow.

"Uh, yeah, you'll do anything to get presents, won't you?" She put the basket down on the bedside table, "And don't you dare eat all the chocolate bars and candy first," she said as Dr. Kimura smiled at the pair and left the room.

"Emily, you wound me," Reid said laughing.

"Don't tempt me," Emily replied but there was no jovial tone in her response.

"Emily…"

"Don't Emily me. What is the matter with you? Do you have a death wish or something?" Her voice seemed to rise with every syllable.

"Emily, keep your voice down, we're in a hospital."

"Of course we're in a hospital," Emily whispered but with no less venom, "because you can't seem to stop yourself from going to the brink of death time and time again. Do you realize this is the third time since I've known you that you almost died? Well, almost isn't really the word is it?" she said, pacing back and forth in front of his bed with curious hospital staff looking on. "I mean in Georgia you actually died for real, you almost got blown up in Colorado, oh and don't forget Texas. I loved that one," she threw her hands out wide. "Here Emily, hold my gun while I stand in front of a killer with an automatic weapon and block your shot. And then this time you go running into a house with anthrax for God's sake."

"I saw a man lying on the floor with blood pouring out of his head; what was I supposed to do, you'd have run in there too. It wasn't until after I was in there that I noticed the broken test tube and by then it was too late," Reid defended himself. "And you don't have a lot of room to talk. When Cyrus said one of us was an FBI agent, you couldn't move fast enough to say pick me! I know you were trying to protect me and I wish people would quit doing that. Contrary to what Morgan might think I'm not a kid who needs protecting."

Emily gave him a look that said 'then why are you always getting yourself in so much trouble,' but she said, "Is that what you think, that I told Cyrus I was the FBI agent to protect you? Maybe you're not as smart as everybody thinks." She turned her back to him. "The beating to my body I could take." Her voice cracked. "It's my heart that couldn't take the beating of watching you suffer again. You know Cyrus would have been much harder on you. You have no idea what it's like to watch someone you care about being tortured." She was wiping her eyes as she turned back to him. "Sorry, I didn't mean to go off on you like that. I'm supposed to be comforting you after your ordeal."

"That's okay," Reid said, "you've always called a spade a spade with me. You were the first one to call me on my behavior after Georgia. You were the first one to call me on my feelings about Gideon leaving. I did reread that letter by the way. If there's one thing you and I have always been able to get through, it's a good fight."

Emily sat on the edge of Reid's bed and fingered the happy face blanket. "Aargh! I know it's not stupidity that sends you into these situations, but heart. You have the biggest heart of anyone I know and it's what pushed you to stand in front of Owen Savage and try to talk him down. It's what pushes you still to continue to visit Amanda in the institution until the day she finally decides to do the right thing. So forgive us if we hold on a little tight sometimes. It's not so much that we're protecting you as we're protecting ourselves from the day when that heart of yours leads you somewhere from which we can't get you back. We got you back this time and, for now, that's enough."


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds and no copyright infringement is intended

A/N: Rossi's POV

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Section Chief Erin Strauss closed the door, walked to her desk and sat down. David Rossi sat in the other chair with his legs crossed and his hands resting comfortably on his lap. "So, why did you call this little pow wow Erin?" the profiler asked.

"Agent Hotchner is in the debriefing with DHS, the CDC, General Whitworth and someone from the president's office so I called you as next in command." Strauss replied. "I see that Dr. Reid has managed to land himself in the hospital…again. This time he could have succumbed to a particularly virulent strain of anthrax."

"That's true, but he didn't, that's the important thing," Rossi responded. "What's your point?"

"My point is that I'm not questioning Dr. Reid's value as a profiler, I'm just concerned with all the things that seem to happen to him, if his actions in the field might not be characterized as foolhardy."

"You think Reid is foolhardy?" Rossi asked. "It could have happened to any one of us who walked through that door."

"How would you address the fact that his life seems to be in danger more often than most?"

"You worked on a case with Reid in Milwaukee, I understand. Did you find him foolhardy?"

"Well, no, not…"

"You solved the case?"

"Yes, well not me personally."

"How exactly did it get solved Erin?"

"We found a boy who fit the profile of the child the team had worked up and it turned out to be his father."

"I've read the details of that case," Rossi responded, "and it wasn't the profile of the child the team worked up, was it? It was a profile that Reid worked up and it was exactly opposite to what the team was thinking but it proved to be right, didn't it, and Hotch, being the great unit chief he is, listens to Reid when he comes up with these things that others don't think of, things that are against the grain, because he knows Reid is right most of the time."

"That's your problem Erin. You know what you read in your typed reports and performance appraisals" he gestured with his hand to the papers on her desk, "but you don't know your agents. Well, let me tell you about Spencer Reid. He's a young guy who dresses like a college professor, I think so the local LEOs we deal with all over the country will take him seriously. He's extremely intelligent and I mean extremely Erin. I've never met anyone like him. The statistics he can reel off are amazing. He talks so fast sometimes that his words almost fall over each other in an attempt to keep up with his brain. Some days it's annoying and you really wish he'd shut up; some days we do tell him to shut up; and some days we let him prattle on happily and to our immense surprise we actually learn something."

"David, do not patronize me," Erin Strauss' steel grey eyes flashed angrily across the room. "I'm well aware of Dr. Reid's genius."

"Are you aware that he has a keen understanding of mental illness, how it affects those afflicted and the family as a whole? Did you know he cared for his own mentally ill mother from the age of ten until she was institutionalized when he was eighteen? You probably aren't cognizant of the fact that he was bullied mercilessly as a child. All these thing have melded together to create a man who has great compassion for the victims but, unlike other profilers, he often has an empathy for the unsub as well. He seems to understand that there but for the grace of God go I."

"His integrity is beyond reproach. He searched for the murderer of a child that occurred when he was four, even though he was afraid his own father was involved. He could have let it go but he wouldn't. I was with him when he went under hypnosis in an attempt to retrieve lost memories. Even I was shaken. I can only imagine what he felt, yet his determination never wavered."

"Spencer Reid saw a man lying on the floor in a pool of blood and his first instinct was to go to him and see if he was alive. Had he noticed the broken test tube of anthrax, it's unlikely that he would have entered the room. I wonder Erin, if you'd found yourself in Reid's place, would you have stayed unselfishly to work the case, to find the unsub and the cure or would you have gotten out of there and sought medical attention as soon as possible."

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Rossi turned from the counter, two large coffees in his hands. "David Rossi, long time no see," Mike Wareham said. "I heard you were back. How are you doing?"

"I'm fine Mike," Rossi told the Maryland cop he'd met in his earlier profiling days. "Sorry I'd really love to talk," he stopped at the kiosk and picked up a handful of sugars and shoved them in his pocket, "but the last time I tasted hospital coffee it was pretty bad and I want to make sure I make this delivery while it's hot."

Mike raised an eyebrow, "You got somebody special in the hospital Dave?"

"Mike, you have no idea how special." David Rossi strode out of Starbucks and across the street to Walter Reed Army Medical Centre.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal minds and no copyright infringement is intended

A/N: Here's the last one folks, JJ's POV

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"You're absolutely sure?" JJ asked and then listened to the voice in her cell phone. "Alright, thank you Dr. Kimura." She put the phone down on the kitchen table where she sat bouncing little Henry on her lap while leafing through the baby book she'd been working on since before her baby's birth. "Look," she said, pointing to a photograph of the baby, "who's that? Is that Henry?" She flipped another page to see photos of herself and Will. "There're mommy and daddy," she pointed out the pictures to the baby who made gooing noises as he shook his rattle around. When she turned to the next page, the heading, in bright red letters said 'Godparents.' JJ remembered how Spence had balked at having his picture taken but once she'd sicced Garcia on him, he'd eventually relented.

"Look, there's Aunt Penelope," she pointed to Garcia, "and Uncle Spence," she tapped Reid's picture with her finger. "Don't tell daddy," she whispered, "but mommy once went on a date with Uncle Spence." She giggled causing Henry to laugh as well. "I think it was his first date ever. It was definitely his first football game. I don't think he liked it very much. He said something about bad memories from high school but when I asked him he wouldn't elaborate. Maybe they had a really bad team or something."

"Your Uncle Spence gets himself in trouble a lot. We went to this farmhouse once and mommy had a problem with some very nasty puppy dogs but Uncle Spence had it much worse. Mommy was really worried about him. Mommy felt really bad but Uncle Spence said it wasn't mommy's fault." Henry looked at his mother as if he understood and stuck out a tiny hand to touch her chin. She remembered how Morgan's attitude had made her feel guiltier for not having Reid's back. She wondered if Morgan felt any differently today when he was the one who'd been with Reid when he'd got in trouble this time. "Uncle Spence is kind of like little Henry. You have to keep your eye on him to make sure he's not getting into something he shouldn't."

"But Uncle Spence is really brave. Lots of people were getting very sick and dying because of a bad man and mommy was worried about daddy and Henry. Yes," JJ's voice rose an octave as she nodded at her son. "Yes, mommy was very worried. She didn't want Henry to get sick." She held the boy tighter. "But it was Uncle Spence who got sick," JJ stopped and cleared her throat, "trying to catch the bad man. And they caught the bad man because of Uncle Spence."

"Uncle Spence got sick and when he could have gotten out and got help, he stayed. He helped Morgan and Aunt Penelope find out who the bad man was and he helped Dr. Kimura find the cure so she could fix all the people who were sick. They caught the bad man at the subway station where he was going to kill mommies and daddies of little babies and little children just like Henry," she poked the baby playfully on his tummy with her finger.

"So," she stood the baby up on her lap, "mommy doesn't have to be afraid of Henry going to the park and all the other mommies and daddies of little boys and girls will never know what Uncle Spence did for them. You'll never know either." She held the boy close again and his head rested on her shoulder. "But mommy knows." A tear slid slowly down each cheek as the oven timer beeped.

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Reid was lying on his hospital bed, his eyes closed. He appeared to be listening to his MP3 player that Morgan had retrieved from his messenger bag. He'd already read three of the novels Garcia had brought and he'd finished the book of advanced Sodoku while making a big dent in Emily's fruit basket. This was how JJ found him as she stared into his room. JJ pushed the stroller carrying Henry into the room. The baby was making noises and pointing at the bed. She'd checked with Dr. Kimura who'd said it was perfectly safe for her to bring Henry to see his godfather.

JJ approached the bed and touched Reid on the shoulder, laughing when he jumped, "Hi Spence."

"Oh, hi JJ, you just about scared the sh…"

"We thought we'd come visit you," JJ interjected quickly pointing to the stroller.

"Oh, hi Henry," Reid said, looking at JJ and mouthing, "Sorry."

"How are you feeling?" she asked, sitting on the chair beside his bed.

"Better," he nodded, "I'll be glad when I can get rid of all this paraphernalia," he indicated the oxygen tubing and the IV.

"I'm sorry," JJ said, putting her head down.

"Sorry about what?" Reid looked uncharacteristically confused.

"Yesterday," she paused for a few moments. "You were so sick and all I could think about was Henry. My baby was safe. You were the one in trouble and I…"

"JJ, JJ stop," Reid said before JJ could finish. "You're a mother now. There's no stronger bond in all of nature. I'd have been more surprised if you weren't worried about Henry. When I went back home my mother knew right away something was wrong. She said a mother knows. She said you guys feel things." He made quotation marks with his fingers. "So don't give it another thought."

JJ jumped up from the chair, "I brought you something." She pulled a cookie tin out of her large tote bag and opened it. "Chocolate chip, your favorite, baked this morning just for you."

Reid took a cookie from the tin and bit into it, savoring its gooey goodness. "Oh man, this is so good," he said with his mouth full. "Hey little buddy, wait till you can have cookies, they're the best."

JJ surveyed the room, "I see Garcia's worked her magic."

"Yeah, she was here first thing this morning." Reid said as he finished his cookie and poured some water from the carafe on his table. After taking a swig he said, "JJ do you think I could hold Henry?"

"Of course," JJ undid the straps, lifting the baby out of his stroller and placing him in Reid's arms.

"Hi Henry," Reid said to the baby who was reaching out to touch the oxygen tubing that went in his nose. "You're sure getting to be a big guy. Mommy must feed you really well.

"He's a good eater," JJ admitted.

Unexpectedly Reid leaned forward and kissed Henry on the forehead. "Thank you JJ," he said tearfully as his eyes glistened.

"Spence why are you thanking me, it was you…"

"For bringing Henry, for making me realize once again that he and all the innocents like him are why we do what we do. Emily reminded me that this was the third time I'd almost died since she's known me. Sometimes you think this job takes too much but looking at Henry, I know that I'd go in there and do it all over again in a heartbeat. So," he squeezed her hand, "we'll go on facing these monsters together, so Henry never has to."


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds and no copyright infringement is intended.**

**A/N: I was asked by a few people to do one more chapter from Dr. Kimura's POV so here it is. Thanks to all who supported the story and reviewed. It's greatly appreciated.**

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As darkness fell quietly like a soft blanket over the city Linda Kimura looked at Spencer Reid sleeping peacefully in his hospital bed. He'd had no further bouts of coughing, his blood work was good and his last x-ray had been encouraging. She raised her eyes heavenward in thanks for that. His wavy brown locks that it appeared he'd given up on trying to keep neat were splayed in little wisps on his pillow. His long eyelashes touched his cheek and sleep made him appear even younger and more innocent, if that were possible. All his friends had gone home but the decorations, the books, the fruit basket, the cookies and the Starbuck's coffee cups in the wastebasket all gave testament to their presence, their affection and their loyalty. It was obvious this man was very loved by his teammates.

The refusal of narcotics; Agent Morgan had said he had his reasons. Penelope Garcia had said that some madman had tortured him and he'd had a seizure. Was he tortured with narcotics? That could bring on a seizure. It would also explain his being in a "bad way" afterwards and his refusal to be given any narcotics. This man had been through something horrific and had come out the other side even stronger. Like Abby down the hall, he was a fighter.

Agent Prentiss had seemed really angry with him. She'd said he'd almost been killed three times since she'd known him. He was a brave man who thought nothing of putting himself in harm's way for others. She couldn't deny that they wouldn't have discovered who was responsible for releasing the deadly pathogen if he hadn't put himself in danger but she sincerely hoped this would be his last brush with death for a very long time.

What would have happened if he hadn't been so smart she wondered? What would have happened if he hadn't realized that this wasn't Brown's first attack, which led her to look up those patients in Baltimore and Philadelphia and led the FBI to the all important book store. Hundreds of people would be dead or dying. Thank God he'd had the wisdom to know where to look for the cure. She would have felt such a loss if he had died. How could that be; she'd only met him yesterday yet she'd enjoyed working with him, if you could call searching for an unstable individual with the capability of taking out mass targets enjoyment. Somehow he had touched her, not in the physical sense although, if she were honest with herself, she wouldn't mind that at all.

She recalled how her traitorous heart had sped up uncontrollably when he'd said she looked nice. He may have meant nothing by it but her heart had still soared at the words when all she should have been thinking of was him and the intense situation in which they found themselves. She didn't know how she'd maintained her professionalism when the sight of him undressing caused a frenzied stirring in her inner regions that she hadn't felt since…well she'd never felt this exactly and it scared her that this man who must be ten years her junior could illicit this raw emotion. What was wrong with her?

It wasn't totally a physical attraction either, Linda admitted to herself. He'd been engaging and very interesting to talk to. She would love to spend an entire evening with him doing just that. She wouldn't mind seeing him perform his magic tricks. Actually there was a lot about him that she wouldn't mind exploring. He didn't know how to talk to girls, Penelope Garcia had said, so if she was serious about not letting him disappear from her life, she'd have to make the first move. She could do that. She couldn't allow a man who had moved her more deeply in a day than she had ever been moved before just walk out of her life. Whatever it took, she was up to the challenge. After all, she was a fighter too.


End file.
